St. Cloud Hospital has received a donation to expand its hospitality house in the Northside Hester Park Neighborhood.

The hospital opened Gorecki Guest House in 2009 with 12 guest rooms for patients and family members who are receiving medical care in the St. Cloud area. Benedict and Dorothy Gorecki of Milaca have made a donation to expand the house to 28 guest rooms.

The guest house is across the street from St. Cloud Hospital.

The Gorecki family made the lead $1 million donation in 2008 to help build the guest house. The expansion will allow the house to serve more families and accommodate families immediately, according to a news release. They will also be able to extend registration hours to accommodate families who arrive later in the evening.

To expand, the hospital must receive an amendment to its Planned Unit Development from the city, St. Cloud Community Development Director Matt Glaesman said. No application has been filed.

The house provides a home-like atmosphere that allows families to stay close to their loved ones while they receive medical care.

Since opening, the Gorecki Guest House has served more than 8,600 people from 83 Minnesota counties as well as Canada, England, France, Kenya and Spain. There have been nights when more than a dozen families are turned away, Gorecki Guest House Specialist Sally Allen said in a news release.

Follow Kari Petrie on Twitter @karipetrie.

Read or Share this story: http://www.sctimes.com/story/news/local/2014/05/27/st-cloud-hospital-gets-donation-expand-guest-house/9629105/